Orin (New Earth)
Originally in Silver Age continuity Arthur Curry was the son of a lighthouse keeper named Tom Curry and a woman named Atlanna. He manifested incredible strength and speed at a young age, as well as the abilities to breathe underwater and talk to fish. On her deathbed, his mother revealed that she was an exiled Queen of Atlantis and he would someday inherit rule of the seven seas. His father gave him an education and taught him to control his powers, eventually allowing him to grow up and become the super-hero Aquaman. ]] His origins were changed when the universe was rebooted during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Orin was born an heir to the Atlantean Royal Family. His mother Atlanna had been unable to conceive a child with her husband King Trevis, but she was impregnated during a dream by the immortal wizard Atlan. Atlan prophesized the child's future and named him after his ancestor Orin, promising that he would sire another son because two brothers must always struggle for the fate of Atlantis. Trevis immediately knew the child wasn't his because of the blonde hair, a long-held superstition that a child might carry the curse of Kordax. The baby was announced as a miscarriage and left to die on Mercy Reef, where his ability to communicate with sealife allowed him to be raised by Dolphins. His adopted mother was named Porm and she gave him the name Swimmer, although he left this new family after fisherman killed his adopted brother Drin. His next encounter with humanity was a lighthouse operator named Tom Curry who took him in as a son, giving him the human name Arthur Curry before his death. Spending time in Alaska, he met and fell in love with the beautiful eskimo girl Kako. They conceived a child together, but the demonic god Nuliajuk forced Arthur to leave before he could learn of the pregnancy. His next fight against a God would be Poseidon's son Triton when he rescued Princess Diana from his sexual advances.''Aquaman'' (Volume 5) Annual #1 Returning to Atlantis, he was arrested and sentenced to hard labor in the Aquarium prison. He found mentorship in the former professor Vulko who taught him Atlantean, although he decided to escape when he learned that his birth mother had died. Curry's first encounter with another super-hero was The Flash, who named him "Aquaman" during a press conference in Crescent Shore after they fought the Trickster. Upon his next return, Orin learns that Vulko has led a revolution and claims his birthright as the King of Atlantis. This has supposedly changed during Infinite Crisis, as a conversation with Jackson Hyde during Brightest Day reveals him to be once again the son of Atlanna and lighthouse keeper Tom Curry. Justice League Aquaman and Flash would then go on to be two of the seven founding members of the Justice League of America (along with Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Superman and Batman). Aquaman would briefly become leader of the Justice League and was forced to disband it when breakdowns within the team made it no longer function. This paved the way for him and the Martian Manhunter to reform the team as Justice League Detroit. Aquaman Family Arthur met a youth abandoned at birth by the Idylists and took him in as his side-kick, the original Aqualad. He would later meet Mera, the Queen of Dimension Aqua. They would eventually marry. Their first child together was named Arthur Curry, Jr.. Death of a Prince Black Manta returned with a series of more vicious personal attacks, beginning with an assault on Atlantis' agricultural system. Struggling under the political responsibilities of his position, Aquaman commissioned the brilliant inventor Weisbogg to create a robotic duplicate for his ceremonial duties, although the scientist had been working for Manta and created a mechanized Bugala that almost destroyed the city. Manta would next bury him under several tons of rubble, although he escaped through a cavernous passage with the guidance of cave-dwelling fish. The next great threat would be an invasion by Captain Demo's high-tech pirates who actually managed to subjugate the city with terrorist threats until Aquaman managed to disable their explosives and defeat them. NATO came into conflict with Atlantis when the dangerous New Order terrorist group swam through their waters carrying the stolen potential to make a nuclear warhead. General Horgan launched a missile believing that the hundreds of Atlanteans lost in the cross-fire would be nothing compared to the potential thousands of dead. The missile was barely averted in time for Aquaman to take down the terrorists single-handedly and defuse their hostage situation. Passing through France he encountered an aquatic drug-smuggling operation organized by the Fisherman using Dolphins to traffic heroin, and helped Interpol shut it down. Believing him to be spending too much time away from the city, the Atlantean Royal Council held a democratic election and had him dethroned, instating a villain in disguise named Karshon in his place as King. Discovering his impeachment upon return to Atlantis, Aquaman was framed for stealing a vial of Serum X from the royal armory during a battle against Ocean Master to save Monaco. Karshon made him an enemy of the state, and he was forced into exile while his former subjects hunted him down across the ocean. Running from the law, Aquaman and his family established a new Aquacave as their hideout. Arthur and Mera were kidnapped by the men of a nearby small town ruled by its high priest Toxxin who believed they were part of a prophecy to destroy the Krakor monster, although they defeated him and escaped after slaying it. Aqualad and Aquagirl return to help solve the conspiracy when they break up one of Manta's smuggling operations in Mississippi. Investigating Manta's gun-running laser rifles to Atlantis, Aquaman is caught in one of the Fisherman's death traps to distract him while Karshon sends telepathic sharks to kidnap Mera and Aquababy. Aquaman is defeated by Black Manta in his rage, and imprisoned alongside Vulko as a traitor. He breaks out and returns to his throne room to challenge Karshon, who is revealed to be a telepathic enemy of Green Lantern known as The Shark. They fight for their lives while Aquababy and Mera face a death-trap, until Aquaman tricks the Shark into overdosing on radiation poisoning. Once the city is restored to sanity and order, having decided that it is too much of a challenge trying to handle both responsibilities, he cedes the crown to Vulko in his absence and decides to become a super-hero full-time. asphyxiates Aquababy in oxygen.]] His next adventure was to help Horgan save a boat-load of swine flu vaccines from the telepathic Marine Marauder. He helped NATO again when Weather Wizard stole an experimental medical device being transported across the Atlantic. Chasing after Topo to save Aqualad from trouble, he also met a lost tribe called the Idylists when he saved Sett and Thoran from an under-sea Starro mutated by pollution. In the City of the Lost Tribes he discovered that Black Manta had easily conquered the pacifistic Idylists and was attempting to set up an under-water colony for black people to escape persecution on the surface. Aquaman and Aqualad were put in a shielded arena together and forced to fight to the death for Aquababy's life. Although they managed to break out and destroy Manta's operations, they were too late to stop him from killing the child or escaping. , see excerpt Aqualad decided to remain behind with the Idylists and finally discovered his parentage, as the son of their King Thar and Queen Berra who had been assassinated years earlier. , 454, 455 Seeking revenge against Black Manta, he pursued him to a sunken mine field and almost died fighting the villain; he was assisted by one of the mercenaries who grew disillusioned with the slaughter involved in Manta's plan, Cal Durham. In a critical moment as he was about to murder his nemesis, Aquaman remembered that his ideals need to stand for something and had him arrested instead. Fisherman struck again by attempting to fry him while tied to the Curry Lighthouse, although Arthur escaped by remembering his Atlanna mother's words to summon strength and went after him. Defeating him in the Mariana Trench, they were both taken by surprise when Scavenger took the cargo Fisherman had been trying to steal. The trail led back to Kobra, who had been manipulating the other super-villains and stole the several tons of explosives for himself. Aquaman teamed up with Batman and Green Lantern to stop the Kobra Cult from destroying Portugal and moving on to the rest of the world. Meanwhile in Atlantis, it turned out that Aquababy had not died from suffocation and was being kept on life support by Vulko. Mera returned to Dimension Aqua to find a machine designed by Xebel that could save him, although instead she was forced to depose the tyrannical regime of Leron established as dictator in her absence. By the time she returned it was too late, and she faced the agony of her son's death a second time. Aquaman returned in the middle of the funeral and Mera tried to kill him for not being there when their son needed him most, believing that his super-heroics and revenge were more important to him than his own family. They were interrupted by a villain named Sea Quake who almost destroyed the city with destructive sonic waves, although he was revealed to be a mindless robot. Ocean Master had been controlling the robot to create a fissure in the ocean floor, diving down to retrieve an ancient Atlantean super-weapon. Aquaman defeated him alongside Aqualad and Mera, and the family seemed together again if not entirely complete. Camouflage Suit New Venice was destroyed by Ocean Master, who returned using sorcery-related powers. Tensions surrounding Atlantean hostility towards surface dwellers led to a declaration of war after one of their Zodiac Crystals was stolen. Aquaman was forced to adopt a new blue costume to hide his identity while the people cried for his blood, and he investigated the disappearance in Thierna Na Oge. Their society of the Tuatha de Danann believed him to be a malevolent spy, and their King Bres had him put to death by the Sreng in their arena. His escape was assisted by the mage Nuada Silverhand, who had also been accused of stealing a crystal. Ocean Master ambushes them at Maarzon and is revealed to have gained his powers from stealing the crystals. Nuada explains that the magics are fueled by emotion, and the only way to beat Orm's rage is for Arthur to overcome his own. They fight on the astral plane as Aquaman struggles eternally, finally destroying the crystals when he reaches an epiphany and tells Orm that he loves him. This enlightenment was short-lived however, as the battle was revealed to have torn his soul-self into two parts. The crystals were activated again by a scientist named Magus who harnessed their power to create another universe, and Aquaman was able to make himself whole by fighting inside to reunite his emotion and reason. During Invasion! Aquaman rode Storm to lead his armies against the Alien Alliance, fighting Gil'Dishpan at the Arctic Circle. He teams up with the Doom Patrol and the Sea Devils to destroy their command ship, delivering a devastating blow to the enemy military. Attempted Genocide of Atlantis Mera had been driven insane by her grief and was committed to an asylum, while Arthur's throne was turned over to the incompetent Pletus in his absence. Atlantis was conquered and enslaved by a race of Giant Jellyfish under this reign, and Aquaman returned to be imprisoned inside Aquarium again. Aquaman becomes a member of the resistance movement using violent terrorist attacks to strike back at their oppressors. The rebellion succeeds with a massive assault on the Royal Palace slaughtering every Jellyfish in the city limits. Mera escapes from her asylum and tries to murder Arthur, forcing him to seemingly kill her by accident in self-defense. She awakens from her coffin alive however and decides she's caused enough harm before returning to Dimension Aqua. Atlantis makes their last stand against the invaders during a massive siege, and Aquaman wipes out the enemy fleet by telepathically commanding an army of killer whales until he passes out. In the aftermath there is public cry for him to retake his throne, but he insists that he must be a protector of the world. For a time, he served as Atlantis's representative to the United Nations, but always found himself thrust back into the superhero role. Becoming more and more of a workaholic and solitary figure, Aquaman eventually returned to the oceans. He soon became tangled up in Black Manta's latest attempt at destroying Atlantis by dragging it into a war with a surface nation. Time and Tide Aquaman received the Atlantis Chronicles from Vulko who found them in the wreckage of Poseidonis. Deciding to take up his mother's legacy as chronicler, he begins recording his own adventures. Discovering that his greatest nemesis Ocean Master is really his half-brother, he begins spiraling into a depression. Aqualad pulls him out of this to investigate an undersea radiation leak, but it turns out to be a trap and they are kidnapped alongside Dolphin by the terrorist Charybdis. The three fight their way to escape together, but Charybdis holds Aquaman's hand down in a piranha pool before getting thrown in himself. Progressively nursing back to health in the Aquacave, Orin emerges with a harpoon over the stump of his left hand. Discovering that Admiral Strom of the United States Navy was responsible for betraying him, Aquaman attacks a military base for answers and fights Superboy. Strom distracts him by revealing that Porm has been captured, and Aquaman is forced to team up with Lobo to rescue Dolphins from a hunter named Tanaka in a testing facility. Returning to Alaska with Dolphin and seeing Kako again, she introduces him to their fully grown illegitimate son Koryak. Their village is attacked by the Deep Six from Apokolips, and Jaffar kills Kako during the raid. She is reborn through Gaia as the fire elemental Corona, but not before the Six can blight her transformation. Corona unleashes Kako's anger at Arthur for abandoning her, and the water elemental Naiad intervenes to destroy her. Corona relents when Arthur agrees to let her kill him, and Koryak returns with them to Atlantis after she disappears with Naiad. His harpoon destroyed by Corona, Aquaman has a new one designed using top-line technology at S.T.A.R. Labs. King Thesily begins to view Aquaman as a threat and hires Deadline to murder him, although the assassin is defeated and escapes. Aquaman meets Kyle Rayner for the first time when he's forced to defend Cron One-Eye for attacking a swimmer in self-defense. Thesily attempts to murder Koryak, but is killed by falling rubble during an earthquake. Return of Thanatos Koryak takes leadership of the kingdom with Vulko, and they lead the Atlanteans on a pilgrimage to Tritonis. Aquaman and Dolphin stay behind in Poseidonis, and Mera finally returns from her self-exile to walk in on them consummating their relationship. Mera fights Dolphin, but she's revealed to have been brainwashed by Arthur's evil doppelganger Thanatos. Aquaman follows her into the other-dimension to fight Thanatos, and it's revealed that she's conceived another son named A.J.. The two men battle to the death as they're tested by The Others, and Thanatos is ruled more worthy to escape their imprisonment. Major Disaster is empowered by Neron during Underworld Unleashed and commissioned to kill Aquaman, instead mistakenly murdering Thanatos. Atlan frees Orin and Dolphin from the prison dimension. They return to find a sentient star-ship underneath Atlantis has reawakened dragon-like Tiamat of the Annunake from stasis, and they defeat the monster as Atlantis rises above sea-level again. Koryak and Vulko's pilgrimage accidentally frees Kordax from his centuries of imprisonment. Thanatos had sent a declaration of war to the surface world before his death, and Justice League America is sent to investigate. Orin and Dolphin fight Fire, Guy Gardner, Ice, Martian Manhunter, Obsidian and Wonder Woman, proving their innocence as he asserts his authority. Hunter/Gatherer War Aquaman recruited the city of Hy-Brasil without too much trouble. Unfortunately, Aquaman and Dolphin encountered Ocean Master at one of the other cities, a city that was destroyed in the subsequent battle. Also during the battle, Garth returns--Aqualad no longer, he is now Tempest, having been trained by Atlan in another dimension. , 18, 19, 20Aquaman then recruits the cities of Thierna Na Oge and the floating city of Basilia. They also recruit Atlan to their cause and head for Tritonis--all while the aliens (known as the Hunter/Gatherers) turn up in Washington D.C. under the guise of seeking peaceful relations. -22 Aquaman finds Tritonis in ruins--Koryak and Vulko had led the people of Poseidonis into the forbidden tunnels beneath the city and awakened Kordax from antiquity. Kordax, using his mind control power, forced Koryak and the Poseidonis citizens to attack their relatives in Tritonis, maiming or killing much of the population. Aquaman helped the Tritonis people out before rallying all of his allies for the final confrontation: Atlan, The Guardian of Hy-Brasil, Arion, Tempest, Tsunami, Nuada, Dolphin, the Sea Devils, Power Girl (at this time still thought to be a descendant of Atlantis), Spought(the Guardian of Basilia)and Deep Blue. Aquaman leads the others to Washington D.C. by flying the skull ship (with Poseidonis on top) straight to the capital. A major battle ensues inside the White House with Aquaman's allies battling against Kordax, Tiamat, and Koryak (still under Kordax's control). Kordax kills himself in the battle when he cannot defeat Aquaman. Basilia is destroyed in the fighting that happens there. The Hunter/Gatherers leave the Earth without any further destruction. -25 New World Order During a battle against Doctor Destiny, there's a massive team-up between Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman and Wonder Woman. They decide to reform as the Justice League of America returning to their original line-up, following the dissolution of Justice League International.Justice League: Midsummer's Nightmare Their first battle together in the public eye is against Hyperclan, proving themselves to the world by stopping an invasion of White Martians.JLA: New World Order Curse of Kordax During the Final Night, the sentient starship ejects Aquaman, Dolphin, and Koryak (now free of the brainwashing) after having a disagreement with Aquaman (regarding the amount of control the ship was exerting over Arthur). Aquaman's adoptive dolphin mother, Porm, was murdered during the darkness, crushing Aquaman. Following a clue, Aquaman ventures to Japan and discovers that the murderer of Porm was a cyborg called Demon Gate, a man who had been maimed by Lobo and who blamed Aquaman for the incident. Aquaman threatens to ban Japan from the oceans unless Demon Gate is handed over. Japan refuses. Aquaman recruits Martian Manhunter to retake Poseidonis, forcing the sentient ship to obey him, and then takes the city to Japan. Demon Gate is turned over and Arthur sentences him to life imprisonment on a deserted island, surviving only on what the local sea life bring to him. -28 Aquaman was called by Deep Blue and the Sea Devils to investigate a seemingly bottomless trench. Deep Blue is dragged into the trench by a bizarre sea creature. Aquaman goes into the pit, but Dolphin cannot follow all the way because of the pressure. Aquaman encounters Black Manta, now a horrible manta-like monster thanks to his deal with Neron. The two arch-enemies battle at the bottom of the trench, encountering the ghost of a dead leviathan. The creature "consumes" Black Manta and tries to do the same with Aquaman, but Arthur uses the full brunt of his psychic abilities to drive it off. Fleeing back up the trench, he retrieves Deep Blue and they return to Sea Devil's sub. -30Up from the trench, Arthur discovers that his flesh is now covered in scales. Getting called back to Poseidonis, Aquaman finds Shark has taken up residence. A mental battle ensues and Aquaman forces Shark to devolve back into a normal shark. Arthur has now mutated further--hard green scales and a webbed hand, looking just like Kordax. The sea life begins to fear him. Aquaman goes on a quest of soul searching, reflecting on the fact that his inner fears are that he is a failure as a king and as a man. A minor journey through time thanks to Atlan helps him put things in perspective. Returning to the present, Aquaman's appearance is restored (although his hand is still webbed). Triton Seeking to regain the trust of the sea life, Aquaman appeals to Poseidon who forces Aquaman to battle his son, Triton. Aquaman wins the fight, and Poseidon restores his title as "King of the Seas." A spiteful Poseidon blinds Aquaman in his bitterness. One short adventure with Animal Man later (one that involves Animal Man teaching Aquaman to expand his powers some more) and Arthur's sight was restored. The people of Poseidonis, forced by Aquaman to serve the people of Tritonis whom they maimed, are finally released of their service and return to their city. Aquaman greets them and they accept him as their king once more (while marveling at the state of their city, now resting on the ocean's surface. Vulko encourages thoughts of Koryak that drift towards a coup de tat. Dolphin, having lost all interest in Arthur, now enters into a relationship with Tempest. Dr. Polaris invades the city, using his vast power to turn it on its side. The battle is only won with the help of Maxima, who had come to make Arthur her new king. Aquaman isn't interested, even if she was found appealing with the citizens of Poseidonis. , 41, 42 When the Millennium Giants emerge, Aquaman is unable to stop one from destroying Thiena Na Oge. Meanwhile, Triton--anger over his loss to Aquaman and the contempt his father has for him--kills Poseidon and seizes most of his power. He approaches the Mother of Monsters for aid against Aquaman. Triton attacks Atlan first, but the sorcerer manages to get a warning to Poseidonis. Triton attacks the city next, destroying the sentient ship completely and returning the city to the ocean floor. Aquaman is stabbed in the battle, and his soul travels to the Greek Underworld. He manages to fight his way in to seeing Hades and convinces Hades to allow him and Poseidon back to the land of living. Poseidon takes back his power from Triton before killing his son and casting his trident at Aquaman's feet. -46 Oceanid becomes his dimension's Aquaman.]] A.J. reappears as an amnesiac believing himself to be Aquaman, and fights Orin for supremacy in Atlantis until his mind is restored using the Clear. They return to his home dimension Oceanid where Mera leads a resistance against alien invaders called the Maritorn. Aquaman uses his ability to communicate with the oceans and unites the entire planet's fighting forces with Naiad's help. Their coordinated attack quickly brings the Maritorn to their knees, and he personally defeats their leader Lord Nemo. Orin and Mera return to their home dimension, while A.J. stays behind and becomes the Aquaman of Oceanid. Koryak attempts to kill his father and seize control of Atlantis, but he is easily stopped and Arthur has him banished. Revenge of Charybdis Aquaman declared Poseidonis would be permanently renamed Atlantis. They were attacked by the Lurkers for encroaching on their territory, and their leader Noble destroys Orin's hook hand during a fight. He begins using a cybernetic replacement hand. Using superior tactics to defeat the more powerful invaders, the Lurkers are subjugated and Noble is appointed as an Atlantean dignitary. Noble begins to romantically pursue Mera during a tour of the Hidden City, assisting in her rescue from Lava Lord of the Fire Trolls. Garth got Dolphin pregnant and subsequently married her. Arthur reconciled with Mera.''Aquaman'' (Volume 5) #50-62 Cerdian War There was a war between Atlantis and the island nation of Cerdia. This war would result in the utter devastation of both Poseidonis and Tritonis as well as ravaging Cerdia as well. It was revealed during the course of the war that the Ocean Master was behind Cerdia's aggression. He also kidnaps Tempest and Dolphin's son right after the boy is born. The war is eventually won, Ocean Master is driven off, and Cerdia is annexed by Atlantis. As a token of peace, Tempest and Dolphin name their son Cerdian (nicknamed "Ian"). -69 Our Worlds at War Atlantis had not fully recovered from the war with Cerdia when it was drawn into another conflict. This one involved the coming of Imperiex, a force of nature that was coming to destroy the planet. An intergalactic alliance of aliens came together to make their stand at Earth. The JLA big guns were quickly swept aside by Imperiex's advance force. Aquaman gave his all against one of the probes, battling it over Poseidonis. An explosion resulted and when the water cleared, Atlantis was gone and a great rift in the ocean remained. Obsidian Age .]] Following its disappearance, the Justice League discovers the ruins of Atlantis modern day on the ocean's surface. Reaching the conclusion that it was sent into the past, they unearth a graven distress signal from Aquaman. Tempest casts a spell to send them all backwards through time on a rescue mission. Batman's emergency protocols recruit a replacement League in the present day led by Nightwing. The original League travels backwards three thousand years to find Aquaman imprisoned while the city is ruled by the League of Ancients. Their leader Gamemnae is revealed to have enslaved the "future" Atlanteans upon their arrival for fifteen years, trapping Orin's consciousness inside a pool and using their labor to raise the city. Ruthless and prepared for them, the Ancients slaughter the League members in battle. Manitou Raven is the only of her followers to recognize Gamemnae's treachery, and sets a plan in motion before she can murder all that stand in her way. Through extremely complicated mysticism and time travel, the Justice League makes their final stand against Gamemnae. She resurfaces in the present and tries to enslave humanity through a world-wide drought. Zatanna leads a team into the past, and they channel Aquaman's wraith-form into the sea where he is able to control all the world's oceans. Using this new immense power, he destroys Gamemnae's works and sinks Atlantis back into the sea. The present-day Atlanteans are brought back to their own time, the Leaguers are reanimated and resurrected, history is corrected and things are set straight. Mera announces that their must still be a reckoning for the destruction and fifteen years of slavery; Orin is put on trial by his own people for high treason. Despite the opportunity to avoid punishment through the League's intervention, he chooses to accept this fate. Waterbearer gives Aquaman his new hand.]] His people condemn him to death by desiccation to be carried out by Rodunn on Traitor's Reef. Arthur barely escapes on the verge of death and finds the Secret Sea, where the Lady of the Lake names him Waterbearer and gives him a new magical hand. Exiled from the ocean, he begins working in Ireland at the Mizen Head Lighthouse alongside two locals named McCaffrey and Sweeney. Mera lies comatose and Atlantis has been taken over by a ruling class of despotic sorcerers trained in the Obsidian Age, led by the villainous Hagen. Rodunn attacks Orin on dry land using a battle-suit, but he returns to the side of good when his life is spared. Deciding that it's time for a change in his appearance, Aquaman returns to his classic clean-shaven look. Tempest convinces him to return and fight for his people's freedom, but the Lady of the Lake reveals there's a dire price for using the hand in anger. This releases The Thirst, imprisoned by Merlin, a dark reflection of the waterbearer who drinks life-force through the Secret Sea itself. incarnation.]] Vulko begins trying to take down the corrupt system from within, assassinating members of the regime using a mutated jellyfish ally called the Man o' War.Aquaman Secret Files and Origins 2003 Aquaman and Tempest traverse the Heavenspan to gain better control of his temperament, while his evil counterpart gains strength by absorbing river spirits starting with the Elbe. They finally meet in the Rhine and do battle against his zombie pirates alongside the champions of Valhalla. Black Manta interrupts when he learns of Aquaman's return, and facilitates The Thirst's escape during an attack. Using his new curative powers, Arthur heals Manta's mental illness and brings him back to sanity. They team up with Manta and follow Thirst into the Dreamtime in Australia while Tempest stays behind in Atlantis. Moon River falls next to the Thirst's desire. Their final confrontation takes place at the Tigris River's Fountainhead, source of the Secret Sea and all Earth's spiritual vitality. He finally defeats the Thirst, but Manta betrays him and the Fountainhead is stopped anyway. Enraged, Aquaman uses his waterbearer hand against the Thirst in anger and they fuse together. Hagen uncovers Vulko's treachery, but releases his untold monsters before he can be killed. The Thirst finally reaches the Lady of the Lake by controlling their shared form, but Aquaman finally destroys him by surrendering and defeating the dark side of his own personality. This replenishes the waters of life, and their energy undoes Hagen's dark sorcery as well. Having gotten in touch with his anger, he begins to show more compassion to the people he rescues and takes time out to help civilians deal with their personal loss. Sub Diego San Diego is submerged underwater in a massive tragedy that wipes out the entire city along the coast. The first person rescued is a girl with gills named Lorena Marquez, who leads them to believe that their might be more survivors. In his public address to the water-breathing refugees, he lets them know that they will never be able to leave. becomes the new Aquagirl.]] Their investigation of the disaster finally leads them to their culprit, scientist Anton Geist. Geist reveals that he introduced a genetic mutation into the water supply causing San Diego's populace to develop gills when submerged in salt-water; he believed that climate change would eventually lead to a global apocalypse, and that he was saving humanity. Lorena beats the shit out of him for murdering her parents, and Aquaman realizes that he must've been working for someone else. Geist is forced to stay below and help the people he condemned, or else face retribution from the company he works for on the surface. Aquaman becomes the self-declared leader of Sub Diego. Their first super-villain is a telekinetic man calling himself The Eel who attempts to take over their local organized crime syndicate. Batman's power dampeners break in custody, and Aquaman has to fight him on his own terms by telepathically controlling microscopic ogranisms in the villain's lungs. Investigating a downed naval base with the Sea Devils, Aquaman meets a new cybernetic Marauder attempting to steal military secrets and sell them to the highest bidder. The new Devils team led by Dane Dorrance including David Davies, Gideon Rivers, Kooch Kucharski, Melinda Spyros and Sigourney Amundsen helps him take the malevolent robot down. They also begin to experience an influx of designer drugs when a criminal named Ned Moriarty begins smuggling in cocaine and heroin, forcing Aquaman to take him down. Orm Marius uses sorcery to switch lives with his brother during Retroverse, creating a world where Aquaman is synonymous with tyranny and Ocean Master is an undersea freedom fighter. Lorena Marquez is given a new Aquagirl costume as his second-in-command. fights a heroic Ocean Master.]] Geist is the only person left unaffected, and he helps Orin reawaken to his true identity. Orin undoes the magic, necromancy using the bones from his dead hand, and restores things to the way they should be. Alonzo Malrey, a police officer who willingly subjected himself to Geist's genetic mutations, becomes the city's next resident protector. Reporter Esther Maris becomes a new ally in the media. The evil corporation that sank Sub Diego, Progene Tech, announces publicly that they patented the water-breathing genetic mutation strand... effectively copyrighting Aquaman's DNA. Vulko returns as ambassador of Atlantis and asks him to become their King again, but he refuses. A serial killer murders eight people, forcing Aquaman to enlist the help of former homicide detective Chandra Abbott and Scarecrow as a profiler. Abbott is revealed to be the murderer, although her actions indirectly led to the restoration of the police department. Aquagirl allies with Koryak in Atlantis, where they are refusing to grant Sub Diego residents citizenship. Black Manta begins to work with Progene in both their best interests. Aquaman begins a romantic relationship with Esther Maris. Manta arrives in Sub Diego and begins gaining approval by preaching his racial rhetoric to the inhabitants. Arthur learns from Koryak during their reunion that Mera is sick but no longer in a coma. He fights through Atlantean border defenses to see her again, missing a date with Esther in the process. Hagen's sorcery has caused Mera to develop lungs, and Atlantean sorcery is the only thing keeping her alive. Tempest and Aquaman have a knock-down drag-out brawl over whether or not Mera should be able to leave, which Arthur wins decisively. She's taken to Geist for treatment, but it is revealed that Geist was an O.M.A.C. and he is activated during The OMAC Project. Koryak manages to destroy the OMAC during their battle, leading to Geist's death as the host body. Manta undergoes a surgical procedure to give himself gills. In an effort to undo Hagen's sorcery and save Mera, Tempest gathers the most powerful Atlantean mages. This attracts the attention of The Spectre during his Day of Vengeance rampage to wipe out all magic. destroys Atlantis.]] Infinite Crisis During Villains United, Aquaman's allies defend Sub Diego against an attack by the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Tempest and Hagen team up to fight The Spectre, but he destroys Atlantis with a single blow. Atlantean refugees are forced to move to Sub Diego in the crisis. Arthur grieves; Vulko and Koryak are found dead in the wreckage, with Tempest gone missing. Aquaman is later seen during the Battle of Metropolis fighting Bane and Headhunter. Manta decides to abandon his political plans for Sub Diego, and simply strike while his nemesis is at his weakest. Captain Malrey is injured in the attack, and Aquaman finally loses it. He destroys Manta's ship and leaves him to die in a frenzy of Sharks. Ralph Dibny meets him in the ruins of Atlantis during 52, where he has gone insane with tragedy and become a delusional rambling hermit.''52'' Week #39 Trying to restore San Diego and save its inhabitants at the behest of Aquagirl, he makes a pact with the Sea Gods for incredible power. In exchange, he becomes the vessel for something "strange, dark and terrible" as his mind and body are warped into a new form. ]] Dweller in the Depths Orin becomes the Dweller in the Depths, a monstrous figure with great magical power at the expense of his mind. He meets Arthur Joseph Curry, a relative of Tom Curry who gained similar powers through his own father's genetic experimentation. Falsely remembering his own life story as a prophecy, he encourages the young man to become Aquaman with King Shark and himself as companions. They meet Mera attempting to reestablish Atlantean society on their travels, but the Dweller cannot face her. Vulko's ghost is discovered when Arthur Joseph meets the Sea Devils at Windward Home, an international think-tank and safe haven run by James Lockhart and Elsa Magnusson. Lockhart informs him that his father was found dead, and Vulko insists that his destiny is to reunite the seas and rebuild Atlantis. Ocean Master is discovered to be responsible for enslaving the Atlantean people, and they launch a rescue mission. During the attack, the Dweller starts to question his "prophecy" when he meets his wife and brother. Mera shows him his true identity when she realizes, but he refuses to sway from his path. He is also shown to be half-water now, instead of just his hand. Arthur Joseph Curry finally accepts his destiny after they defeat Ocean Master's army, and Orin officially knights him the new Aquaman. Orin is eventually executed during a battle by Narwhal. Blackest Night ]] Orin was revived as one of the Black Lanterns whereby his hand has been restored to his corpse. Aquaman was among the twelve people revived by the White Lantern Central Power Battery at the dawning of the Brightest Day. Brightest Day Aquaman reunites with Mera in Amnesty Bay. During an attack on Somalian pirates, he discovers that he's retained his Black Lantern ability to command undead sealife. Mera's twin sister Siren returns from their dimension leading a Death Squad. They attack them in the Bermuda Triangle, and Mera confesses that she was originally sent to Atlantis to murder Arthur. Her home dimension of Xebel is revealed to have actually been a penal colony holding separatists who waged war against Atlantis. The Entity appears again when Deadman gains control of the White Lantern, and his voice commands Aquaman to find Jackson Hyde. Mera reveals that she already knows the child, and he's Black Manta's son. Arthur stops Manta and Siren from murdering the boy's adopted father after he charges Mera with finding someone to help protect the surface world from her people. becomes the new Aqualad]] They escape together with Mr. Hyde and discover that part of Jackson's birthright is a map. This leads them to an ancient suit of battle armor with Waterbearers to control his powers; Aquaman compels Jackson to follow his destiny and help imprison the armies of Xebel. They make their stand at the beginning of the Aquawar when Siren leads hundreds of Xebel soldiers to march against surface-dwellers on the beaches. Black Manta appears again and chops his hand off with a butchering knife. Jackson cauterizes his wound, and Mera pushes her hard-water powers past their limits to destroy the enemy force in a massive tidal wave. Underwater they are decimated by Aquaman's army of undead sea creatures, and Jackson uses his new powers to turn the barrier back on imprisoning Manta and the colony of Xebel in the Bermuda Triangle again. His mission completed, the Entity restores Arthur's life back to him completely and then vaporizes him. He is converted into one of the four Elementals representing water, alongside Firestorm representing fire, Hawkman and Hawkgirl representing wind, and Martian Manhunter representing earth. The Entity explains that his greater purpose was to bring them together so they could protect humanity from the Dark Avatar, a version of Swamp Thing whose connection to the Green had been tainted by Nekron. Their presence staves him off long enough to resurrect Alec Holland. Holland is transformed into the new Swamp Thing and destroys his evil counterpart, becoming the new avatar of the White Lantern Corps. Aquaman is returned to normal with his hand repaired. Reexamining the weapons Xebel used when he returns, he realizes they are Atlantean in origin. Flashpoint In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Aquaman was brought back to Atlantis when he was a teenager, due to the death of his grandfather. As a result, the young Arthur never learned compassion and kindness from his father, who was killed by the Atlantean agents sent to recover him. In the present day, Aquaman and all of Atlantis wage war against Wonder Woman and the Amazons. He caused Western Europe to sink into the sea killing over 60 million people, intending to sink England as well and is later seen alongside his brother, the Ocean Master, in the flooded remains of Paris where they attack the pirate Deathstroke and his crew members Sonar, Icicle, and Clayface. After taking them out, Aquaman then left the pirate Deathstroke to die, as he had other work to do. However, Deathstroke survives with the help of Sonar. The war against the Amazons started when Diana's mother, Hippolyta, was killed on Aquaman and Diana's wedding day, and in an act of retribution, Wonder Woman later killed Mera who had apparently married Aquaman. The wedding was going to happen after Atlantis was discovered by the Amazons when Aquaman saved and healed Diana when she was wounded by a sea creature. Both of the races then revealed themselves to the outside world. The death of Hippolyta was however revealed to be a casualty of war as the real target was Wonder Woman. A plot between Orm and Penthesleia to prevent the union of Aquaman and Wonder Woman was also revealed. In the present, Aquaman reassigns Siren and Ocean Master to assassinate Terra in New Themyscira. The mission failed, with Siren being killed by Diana's aunt, Penthesleia. The Amazonian Furies then attack the reinforcements led by Aquaman, who is confronted in battle by their leader, Wonder Woman. During their struggle, Wonder Woman tells him that they have both been deceived. She discovers that his brother Ocean Master kissing Penthesileia are both responsible for the war between the Atlanteans and the Amazons and that it was a ruse planned by them. The Atlanteans decide to go to the surface, but their attack is backfired by Ocean Master, so Aquaman believes Diana had set a trap. She escapes from Aquaman, who refuses her word. Aquaman then arrives on New Themyscira. A final battle is waged between Emperor Aquaman and Wonder Woman; however, they are both approached by the Flash and the heroes, who are there to stop the war. However, Enchantress betrays the heroes and starts a massacre, killing everybody in sight. Then, Kal-El, stomps Enchantress, killing her, and charges into Aquaman and Wonder Woman at the final battle. Finally, the Flash restores the original timeline, yet radically changes it. The Trench ]] Aquaman begins protecting Boston, where he quickly develops a more positive reputation than his negative public image. He decides to completely abandon Atlantis, choosing instead to pursue a life on land with Mera. The city is attacked by a carnivorous underwater species called The Trench and they fight off the invasion. Many humans are taken captive during the slaughter. His former mentor Stephen Shin is the only man who can help discover their whereabouts, and they visit him for guidance despite Shin having tried to kill Arthur. Descending into the Marianas Trench, they discover the predators dying out and desperately trying to feed their children. They save the captives, and Aquaman reluctantly causes the Trench's extinction to prevent further loss of human life. One of the creatures saved is a homeless dog who they decide to take in, calling him Aquadog. Possible Futures * Legends of the Dead Earth has two conflicting versions of Aquaman's future. In one story he was the greatest hero of the dying Earth, a wise King distributing water fairly to his people during a global drought. The other holds him as history's greatest villain using Ramona to terrorize the oceans and sky, until Ocean Master and Black Manta destroy his flying city.''Aquaman'' (Volume 5) Annual #2 * DC One Million has Orin's legacy continue into the 853rd Century, with a new Aquaman becoming part of Justice Legion A. Personality Romantic Relationships * Nera * Kako * Mera * Dolphin * Wonder Woman * Esther Maris | Powers = adaptations]] * Atlantean Biological Adaptation: The Atlanteans are an offshoot of humanity that is biologically adapted to the deep ocean environment. For most Atlanteans, this means that can breathe underwater, endure the pressures of the deep (among other adaptations), and can only spend a very limited time out of water. He also possesses superhuman levels of strength, speed, endurance and durability, all by-products of his body being adapted to survive unprotected in the tremendous pressures of the ocean depths. Although other Atlanteans possess similar adaptations, Aquaman is super-Atlantean as well as super-human, and as such he has greater physical capabilities than does a typical Atlantean. :* Amphibious Nature: Aquaman, as an Atlantean, and the son of a wizard and Atlantean queen, can breathe both water and air, but must return to the aquatic environment at various intervals; this length can be prolonged by the humidity in the atmosphere. :* Enhanced Sight: His ability to see in the murky depths of the ocean allows him exceptional night vision while on land. He has claimed that his eyes are adapted to see at 6,000 fathoms (or 36,000 feet below the surface of the water). :* Enhanced Hearing: several times more acute than human capacity. :* Enhanced Smell: several times more acute than human capacity. :* Superhuman Strength: Aquaman possesses superhuman strength on the order of 150 times human maximum, but his strength is always underrated, considering the company that he keeps. His strength is more than a match for most barriers such as wood, metals, brick or concrete walls. Only extremely durable metal reinforced barriers, have any chance of slowing him for any length of time. Aquaman frequently displays feats of Super-Atlantean (the average Atlantean can lift/press approximately 2 tons) and Superhuman strength. While not on par with Superman, he has proven capable of performing standing high jumps of 4 stories (both on land and from water), lifting and throwing a tank (at least 25 tons), and even managed to hold out for an incredible length of time against Wonder Woman in combat. His strength would appear somewhat dependent on how hydrated he is as he was capable of lifting a considerable chunk of a city block in Sub-Diego, and has proven capable of shifting an oil rig platform which would weigh thousands of tons as well. :* Superhuman Endurance: Aquaman possesses strength and stamina that allows him to swim up to 150 mph for at least a 4 hour period without significant breaks for rest or recuperation. :* Superhuman Durability: Aquaman's enhanced physiology enables him to withstand impacts that would kill and ordinary human, and critically injure an average Atlantean. He has been seen in ocean depths as deep as 20,000 feet (3.79 miles) below the surface of the water. That amount of pressure is 800 atmospheres, which is enough to turn an ordinary human into a smear of blood and bone dust. It seems that Aquaman has been able to travel as deep as 36,000 feet (6.82 miles) considering that he claims that his eyes have been adapted to see at that depth. He is not completely durable against large fire arms, but is able to take a direct hit by small arms fire without incapacitation. Regular bullets are shown to make him bleed but otherwise glance off his thick skin. ::*''Energy-Heat Resistance: Aquaman is extremely resistant to energy/heat based attacks as he has with stood multiple blasts from Amazo's heat vision, Black Manta's heat beams, and energy blasts from an OMAC. :* 'Superhuman Speed: Aquaman's regular speed is approximately 100mph swimming underwater, although slightly less on the surface. In times of distress this has shown to drastically increase, and he has reached 1,000 knots.JLA: Earth-2 :* ''Superhuman Reflexes: While no speedster, Aquaman's reflexes are superior to even near metahumans such as Deathstroke the Terminator, and his reflexes are on the order of 12-15 times faster than a normal human. Aquaman is probably the greatest swimmer in the world. :* Marine Telepathy: Aquaman has the ability to communicate directly with sea life and has done so throughout most of his life. Lately he possesses a greater range of control that can actually force sea creatures to obey his whims. Currently, he requests their assistance and they comply. He has chosen to continue to request since, if he forces them to comply, they will ultimately lose respect for him. He now also has access to a quantum field phenomenon called "the Clear". "The Clear" quantum phenomenon has been observed with the subject called the Swamp Thing who called it the Green or the Morphogenic Field of Animal Man (also called the Red). Aquaman is also an accomplished telepath in general and can perform such telepathic feats as mind to mind communication, mind probes, mental domination of a non-aquatic mind, and mental attacks. The potency of such mental domination is unclear but he has been seen to use his powers to great effect against the White Martians and Doctor Polaris. ::* 'Access to the Clear: Aquaman has the ability to sense the primal emotions of aquatic creatures through "The Clear". The Clear seems to function as a universal consciousness of all sea life. Via it he can communicate or command sea life on the other side of the planet. He can see what they see and much more what he is only beginning to realize. He can also push his telepathic powers to reach out to the higher land creatures to find that element of their brains that was once an aquatic dwelling creature. This may account for Aquaman's facility with language. * Sonar Location: A sonar power which allows Aquaman to detect things when blinded. A possible side effect of his gift from Poseidon or from the nature of his advanced mental powers, Aquaman can use this sonar-like sense to detect objects much as a dolphin might. The range of this power is unknown. * Water Sense: He has a sixth sense of "feeling" flowing water over 47 feet away through any known surface or material and in any direction. * Superhuman Equilibrium * Sorcery (formerly) ': His mutation into the Dweller of the Deep through a bargain with ancient sea gods gave him untold amounts of powerful ancient magics. | Abilities = * 'Master Swimmer: Aquaman is a master swimmer. Perhaps the greatest there is. * Expert Combatant: Aquaman excels at hand-to-hand combat and overall martial ability. * Expert Tactician: He has an advanced strategic sense, and has natural leadership qualities. * Accomplished Diplomat: His natural autocratic nature does not suit him well in environments where democracy is an issue but Orin is a natural commander and his ability has served him well in the protection of Posidonis. | Strength = An approximation of Aquaman's strength would put his lifting/pressing capacity of at least over 60 tons while on land, depending on how long he has been out of water. While hydrated sufficiently, Aquaman has twice proven capable of lifting weights in excess of 10,000 tons. | Weaknesses = * Water Deprivation: Aquaman must return to water after a period of time or he will weaken. * Waterbearer Abuse (formerly): Overuse of the Waterbearer Hand for violent means will cause the Thirst to attack the Secret Sea. | Equipment = | Transportation = | Weapons = ]] * Trident of Neptune * Black Lantern Ring * Cybernetic Hand (formerly): Aquaman's left hand was eaten by piranha and was replaced with a harpoon. When that harpoon was later destroyed, S.T.A.R. Labs engineered a multifunction prosthetic. Its primary weapon, a retractable harpoon, could be drawn into its casing to be temporarily replaced with a prosthetic hand. The harpoon line was made of a tungsten steel cable that was capable of supporting 2 tons without breaking. It also was equipped with the ability to carry a powerful electrical charge. The harpoon, made of a high-grade hardened vanadium-titanium alloy, could be made to spin at high speeds and act as a drill, launched at an opponent to entangle them, or to wrap around an object to prevent a fall. Later, Orin had a new prosthetic hand that functioned as his normal hand does, but it was able to form limited types of bladed weapons with a direct application of his will. The material is unknown, and the source of that hand has not been revealed. :* Harpoon: normally had a harpoon attached to a retractable line that he could use to fire at ranged targets. :* Cybernetic Weapon Alteration: Could be altered to form weapons. * Waterbearer Hand (formerly): given to him by the Lady of the Lake. The hand was magical in nature and possessed various abilities. :* Molecular Manipulation: Aquaman can alter the shape and density of the hand. :* Healing: It possesses healing properties. :* Death Touch :* Farsight: Can be used as a scrying pool. :* Negate Magic: Can negate any other magics. :* Prolong Adaptation: Significantly increases the time Aquaman can spend out of water. :* Independent Life: The hand can be separated from Aquaman and continue to work. :* Amplifies Telepathy | Notes = * In Silver Age continuity prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Arthur had spent his teenage years under the name Aquaboy and teamed up with Superboy. This was retconned out in his Post-Crisis origin story. | Trivia = * Arthur's birthday is January 29th.DC Calendar 1976 | Recommended = | Wikipedia = Aquaman | Links = * Aquaman at DCU Guide * Aquaman at Toonopedia * Aquaman at TV Tropes * The Aquaman Shrine * History of Aquaman at Comics Alliance * Aquaman Essay at Blogspot * }} Category:Aquaman Category:Black Lantern Corps members Category:Justice League Detroit members Category:Justice League International members Category:Justice League Task Force members Category:Formerly Deceased Category:Magicians Category:Sorcerers Category:Missing Limb Category:Unique Physiology Category:Animal Control Category:Animal Empathy Category:Cybernetic Enhancement Category:Diplomacy Category:Diving Category:Energy Resistance Category:Enhanced Senses Category:Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced) Category:Hyper-Reflexes Category:Invulnerability Category:Leadership Category:Magic Category:Marine Biology Category:Superhuman Durability Category:Superhuman Equilibrium Category:Superhuman Stamina Category:Superhuman Strength Category:Super-Speed Category:Swimming Category:Tactical Analysis Category:Telepathy Category:Water Sense Category:Amphibian